NEW YORK, NY(ALLURING INTIMATES-09.13-09-25.20)--'Curve Connect", the #1 vitual trade event for the intimate apparel industry recently launched in the US by Eurovet Americas-celebrated its inaugural Curve Excellence Awards on Thursday September 17, 2020, in conjuction with the research and analitical company NPD, honoring and announcing the winners  of the best performing brands and retailers of the 2020, during an online streaming award ceremony.

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Message from Raphael Camp (CEO of Curve)

We partnered with The NPD Group to award the best performing brands and the star retailers of the year. This year was an especially challenging time for everyone of us. The COVID pandemic continues to impact us all in various ways. Several of us encountered personal losses, a lot of our specialty stores had to close their doors and every one of us is feeling the economic impact. But out of this great tragedy, our community has come together and was able to demonstrate great unity and courage. Many brands have been supporting their retail partners and continue to help them weather the storm. We even have a number of specialty stores involved in various charity projects to give back to their local communities and essential workers. This year in particular, we wanted to celebrate the heroes of the intimate apparel industry “Said Raphael Camp, CEO at Curve.

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The NPD Group offers data, industry expertise, and prescriptive analytics to help their clients grow their businesses in a changing world. Over 2,000 companies worldwide rely on NPD to help them measure, predict, and improve performance across all channels, including brick-and-mortar and e-commerce. 

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The awards were a special way to honor and celebrate brands and retailers making an impact both in the lingerie industry as well as their communities. 

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“We at Curve are pleased today to honor the retailers & brands that made an impactful difference this year. It’s been a challenging 6 months for our lingerie industry, however there are amazing people that needed acknowledgement. Their efforts to bring unity & inspire us all could not go un-noticed. Therefore, we decided to roll out the Red carpet with 5 Curve Excellence awards in the categories of Philanthropic Excellence, Charitable Giving, Lifetime Achievement, Education Excellence, & a special Congeniality award,” said Kirsten Griffin, Visitors Promotion Director at Curve.

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In addition to the Curve Excellence Awards, The NPD Group presented the Intimate Apparel Retail Performance Awards.  Awards were given to top performing intimate apparel brands in key bra segments during the 12 months ending June 2020, according to dollar sales from NPD’s Retail Tracking Service. 

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“Thanks in part to the innovative approaches taken by so many brands, intimates is one of the bright spots within the U.S. apparel industry through the challenges of the pandemic,” said Todd Mick, NPD’s executive director, fashion apparel, and a subject matter expert on innerwear and swim. “NPD is thrilled to recognize the brands leading the way in helping to drive the intimate apparel industry forward by providing the benefits consumers need and want.” 

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2020 Awards winners are:

• Ariela & Associates International LLC.#1 Selling Bra in the U.S. During the Second Quarter of 2020:

• fFirst, I want to Thank NPD  whose has been incredible generous with both information and perspective during this difficult time.I would also want to Thank my wonderfull business partners  Fruit of The Loom and Walmart. I trully admire their business ethics and moral compas. How they treat their  employees, customers  and their business partners, always inspires me. I also wants to thanks my incredible team;  they are hard working, kind, compasionate, innovative and fun to work with." Said Ariela Esquenazi (CEO & Founder of Ariela Associates International) after receiving this award.

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• True & Co:#1 Dollar Growth Average Figure Designer Bra Brand in the U.S. On behalf of entire True & Co team, I want to thank NPD  for this exciting recognition. Our mission from inception was to creatre Bra and underwear that make your  feel like you, built by and for our community.True & Co  began with a question : What two  people want in a bra?, our community had a lot say and so we listened closely and began creating different kinds  of Bras and underwear. The kind of consumer can live in; soft, stretchy, supporty, pretty, confident-busting  and above all designed and make for comfort.This past year we had expanded from direct consumer into wholesale working closely with our key partners like Norstrom and Target. We have been able to broaden our regional engagement and meeting our consumers where they like to shop. We are proud to receive  this honor and more importantantly to create a product that our community love. Thank You again and congratulations to the other honorees". Said Sarah Weddon(PVH ) 

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•  Natori:#1 Selling Average Figure Designer Bra in the U.S.    During this challenging time, the creativity  and forward thinking of our industry led by the Curve group has been amazing.You lead the way as we embrace the digital interface to reach our customers, consumers and each other. I extent special Thanks to our region partners for continuing to showcase the "Natori " brand in their communication to consumers. This has enable the "Natori" perfection bra to deliver the superior rarely experience innovated by our highly skilled design team  to such large numbers of consumers. Consumers Today's choose comfort above all  that's why our team crafted this bra with our signature forward stretch material  and ultra-soft treat and accesories. This makes the list perfection the perfect bra for Today's world.We continue to receive many testimonials from our consumers   with comments such as most comfortable bra worn in decades or  your bra provide me lay-back luxury and I feel good in all day.For 19 years, Dana-Co has been in the business of designing and manufacturing  bra for the Natori and Scarlett Blue brands. We are about to deliver products that make our consumers comfortable and happy. We all aim to drive demand and productivity as we see to thrive during this puzzling times. Dana-Co will be right there with you to make that happen. On behalf the Dana-Co , I thank You". Said Zvi Ertel (CEO of DANA-CO) after accepting the award on behalf of Natori, a division of Dana-Co. for being the #1 Selling Average Figure Designer Bra in the U.S.

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• Wacoal America: #1 Selling Designer Sports Bra in the U.S.   Thank You in behalf of everyone at Wacoal. We are very honor to receive this award and we are very proud of this style. Eveything at Wacoal is about "Fit and Function" and when we design styles, we want to make sure that they are delivering the best  that we possibly can for our customers.So we are making descisions on fabrics, and styling to best suit the customers that we are targeting which in the case of this style is a full support for figure women. We have a wide range of sizes and definitly the customers has voted that she loves the containment and high impacts support level that this bra delivers". Said  Miryha Fantegrossi( Vice President , Merchandising and Design at Wacoal America) after accepting the award for #1 Selling Designer Sports Bra in the U.S.

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• : Third Love: #1 Digital Native Bra Brand Among Millennials in the U.S.: "Third Love"…. Third Love Mission has always being to help women find a really comfortable and well fitting bra that makes them feel confident on their everyday lives. Today's I would just say that I'm most proud of three things  that we are done over the past seven years. One we really push when I believe it wasn't an all school industry to really start to innovate with the times. A Third Love  we done that through our inclusive sizing, having over 80's sizes and marketing that showcases real women of all ages, shapes and sizes. And lastly, our creation of our online fit finder that has helped over 17 millions women find their Bra sizes under a minute.And the second thing that I'm most proud of is that we are the largest donor of Bras in the Country (US). We donated over 30 million dollars of product to women in need and lastly we recently launched a program called " TL Effect " to support, mentoring and help businesses owned by women of color. Thank You so much this it's such honor and my promise to the industry is keep pushing to do even more and put our customer first and create bra and underwear brand for all women". Said Heidi Zak (Co-Founder of Third Love) after accepting the award on behalf of " Third Love "for being the #1 Digital Native Bra Brand Among Millennials in the U.S.

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• The Philanthropic Excellence award was given to Larisa Olson, owner of Chantilly Lace. Olson started the Comfort Project as a way to give back to nurses in her community. This project then inspired many retailers to do the same in their areas. 

Curve awarded 13 retailers and one brand from the US, Canada, and the Cayman Islands with the Comfort Project Award. Retailers included:

        Mary Jordan from Bra-La-La in Fulton, MD

        Patti Plat from A La Mode Annapolis, MD 

        Emily Doren & Holy Ortman from Lace & Day in Buffalo, NY

        Ilene Levy from Cheeks in Pitsburg, PA

        Judy Masucci from Levana Bratique in Wextford, PA

        Rosa Viola Harris from Vy's Closet in George Town, Cayman Island,

        Lynn Polashuk & Mindi Leikin from Necessary Secrets in Lutherville, MD

        Lee Padget from Busted Bra Shop in Detroit, Michigan & Chicago, IL,

        Jeanne Emory from Bra Genie in Covington, LA 

         Robin Horman from Lilibea's in West Reading, PA

         Sabrina and Savi Jailall from Selena's Fine Lingerie Boutique in Greensboro, NC

         Tamara  Disaverio from Bliss Beneath in Barrie , Canada

         Liliana Mann from Linea Intima in Toronto Canada

         Bill Haddad from Montelle in Canada

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Additional awards included: 

• Life Time Achievement Award :Danny Koch owner of Town Shop in NYC.

• The Education Excellence Award :Freddy Zappe of Eveden

• The Curve Congeniality Award:Jennifer Briscoe from Cosabella

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Tune into Curve Connect to meet with top buyers and brands as well as watch informative webinars until September 25th, 2020.